Endoscope System That Controls Laser Output of Laser Probe and Control Method for Endoscope System

1. An endoscope system, comprising: an endoscope having an insertion portion that is to be inserted into a subject, an objective optical system provided in a distal end portion of the insertion portion, an image pickup portion that time-sequentially picks up optical images of the subject that are formed by the objective optical system to acquire a plurality of images, and a channel that is provided inside the insertion portion so as to have a channel opening in the distal end portion of the insertion portion; a laser probe that is inserted through the channel of the endoscope and that outputs a laser beam from a distal end portion towards the subject; an image analysis portion that detects an area of the laser probe with respect to each of a plurality of the images that are time-sequentially acquired; and a control portion that determines whether or not the laser probe protrudes from the channel opening based on detection results with respect to the area of the laser probe which are obtained by the image analysis portion for a plurality of the images that are time-sequentially consecutive, and permits the laser probe to output the laser beam only in a case where it is determined that the laser probe protrudes.

2. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , wherein: with respect to each of a plurality of the images that are time-sequentially acquired by the image pickup portion, the image analysis portion detects an area of an image portion that is included in a hue range of the laser probe as the area of the laser probe.

3. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , wherein: the control portion performs a logical product operation that takes a case where an area of the laser probe that is equal to or greater than a predetermined area is detected as “true” and a case where an area of the laser probe that is equal to or greater than the predetermined area is not detected as “false” for a plurality of the images that are time-sequentially consecutive, and permits the laser probe to output the laser beam only in a case where an operation result is “true”.

4. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , wherein: the control portion calculates an average value by performing an averaging filter operation with respect to an area of the laser probe in a plurality of the images that are time-sequentially consecutive, and permits the laser probe to output the laser beam only in a case where the average value is equal to or greater than a first threshold value.

5. The endoscope system according to claim 4 , wherein: after permitting output of the laser beam, the control portion prohibits the laser probe from outputting the laser beam only in a case where the average value becomes less than a second threshold value that is smaller than the first threshold value.

6. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a display apparatus that displays the image; and an input operation portion for performing an operation input, wherein the control portion causes the display apparatus to selectably display fields in which the endoscope system is to be used, the control portion controls processing by the image analysis portion to be skipped and controls by the control portion for determining whether or not to permit output of the laser beam be skipped in response to a field being selected through the input operation portion that is not a predetermined field in which the laser probe is to be used, and the control portion controls the processing by the image analysis portion to be performed and the controls by the control portion for determining weather or not to permit the output of the laser beam to be performed in response to the field being selected through the input operation portion being the predetermined field in which the laser probe is to be used.

7. The endoscope system according to claim 1 , wherein: the image pickup portion acquires a plurality of frame images, and the image analysis portion detects an area of an image portion occupied by the laser probe in one frame image acquired by the image pickup portion, and analyzes each of the plurality of frame images that are time-sequentially acquired.

8. An operation method of an endoscope system which includes: an endoscope having an insertion portion that is to be inserted into a subject, an objective optical system provided in a distal end portion of the insertion portion, an image pickup portion that time-sequentially picks up optical images of the subject that are formed by the objective optical system to acquire a plurality of images, and a channel that is provided inside the insertion portion so as to have a channel opening in the distal end portion of the insertion portion, and a laser probe that is inserted through the channel of the endoscope and that outputs a laser beam from a distal end portion towards the subject: the operation method comprising: a step of detecting, by an image analysis portion, an area of the laser probe with respect to each of a plurality of the images that are time-sequentially acquired; and a step of determining, by a control portion, whether or not the laser probe protrudes from the channel opening based on detection results with respect to the area of the laser probe which are obtained in the detecting step for a plurality of the images that are time-sequentially consecutive, and permitting the laser probe to output the laser beam only in a case where it is determined that the laser probe protrudes.